(a) Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a sanitary cover for use over a toilet seat. And more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a flexible disposable cover that includes an impermeable layer of material with areas of releasable adhesive.
(b) Discussion of Known Art
The need for a device a sanitary cover for a toilet seat has long been recognized. Examples of these covers typically involve stacked layers of cover material, such as the example found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,243 to Kelly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,450 to Akazawa, or U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,669 to Lowenstein. These stacked covers are designed as part of a toilet facility, and are not fairly transportable by an individual who wishes to use the seat covers at an unfamiliar toilet facility. Thus, these devices do not address the need for a portable device or system that can be carried a person""s coat pocket or purse, and allow the person to securely cover an unfamiliar toilet seat.
FIGS. 8, 20 and 21 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,237 to Hazar et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,617 include other examples of devices that can be easily transported, and concealed or stowed while being transported. These devices, however, offer few advantages over simply transporting sheets of toilet paper, or individual sheets of the well-known toilet seat covers that are found in many airport restrooms or other public restrooms.
An important problem that must be addressed by a toilet cover is the need for providing an impermeable layer that prevents fluids that may be found on a toilet seat from soaking through the cover. Additionally, the toilet seat cover should be easily secured to the toilet seat. Many known devices, such as the Hazar et al. include known examples of how to secure the cover to the surface of a toilet seat. The approach with these devices typically involves the use of an adhesive with a peel away cover. The use of a peel-away cover over the adhesive introduces serious limitations to the product in that a toilet seat cover may need to be deployed on very short notice, and thus the user may not have the time to peel the individual adhesive covers before placing the toilet seat cover over the toilet seat.
Thus, there remains a need for a sanitary toilet seat cover that can be easily deployed.
Still further, there remains a need for a toilet seat cover that is impermeable.
There remains a need for an impermeable toilet seat cover that can be easily contained in a portable pouch and then quickly deployed and secured against a toilet seat in the field.
It has been discovered that the problems left unanswered by known art can be solved by providing a toilet seat cover that includes:
A sheet of impermeable material; and
At least one section of adhesive material, the section of adhesive material having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface of the section of adhesive material being attached to the sheet of impermeable material using an adhesive of a high peel strength that prevents the section of adhesive material from being easily removed from the sheet of impermeable material, the upper surface of the section of adhesive material having an adhesive of a low peel strength, so that the sheet may be folded upon itself to cover the upper surface of section of adhesive material, so that unfolding of the sheet of impermeable material exposes the upper surface of the section of adhesive material, so that the upper surface of the section of adhesive material may then be placed on the surface of a toilet seat to retain the toilet seat cover over the toilet seat.
According to an example of the invention, it is contemplated that the sheet of impermeable material will include an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface of the sheet of impermeable material having a layer of cushioning material attached thereto. Examples of the sheet of cushioning material include materials such as paper tissue material, fibrous materials such as soft fabrics or matting, or soft foam materials.
It is further contemplated that the adhesive low peel strength material may be of the type used in POST-IT(copyright) notes, such as the adhesive described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,731 to Merrill, Jr. et al., incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, and U.S. Pat. No 3,691,140 to Silver, also incorporated in its entirety by reference.